The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT), which was originally established in November 2010 to adjudicate the dispute over the sharing of the Mahadayi River water among Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, has been granted another extension. The Ministry of Jal Shakti issued a notification stating that the tribunal's term would be extended for another six months, effective from February 16, 2025.

This marks the seventh time the tribunal has received an extension since the final verdict was announced in August 2018. Despite being in operation for over 14 years, the tribunal has yet to reach a final resolution, as all three states have raised objections requiring revisions to the initial report submitted in 2018.

The MWDT was formed under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, with the aim of resolving water disputes related to the Mahadayi river and valley. The tribunal was initially expected to submit its report within three years of its constitution, by November 15, 2013. However, the tribunal requested the Centre to consider August 21, 2013, the effective date of its functioning, as the date of its constitution, which was granted.

The ongoing delays and extensions highlight the complexities and challenges in resolving inter-state water disputes. The Mahadayi Tribunal is among five active tribunals in the country that continue to receive extensions, with the Ravi & Beas Tribunal being the oldest, addressing water-sharing disputes among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan for nearly 39 years.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Mahadayi PRAWAH was scheduled for March 4 in Mumbai, where the Goa Government's proposal for a joint inspection of the Kalasa-Banduri site in Kankumbi, on the Goa border, was expected to be discussed. Environmentalists have voiced concerns regarding the potential adverse effects of diverting the Mahadayi water on the Western Ghats' forests, even as the state government seeks final approval for the Kalasa-Banduri project to divert its allocated share of the Mahadayi water.